Author's Note: As I was writing this chapter, I realized that I made a HUGE continuity error, in that during Eclipse, Renee and Phil had already moved to Jacksonville, and this whole time I've been writing about Bella going back to Phoenix. So anyway, I hate doing this, but I'm just going to nix the idea that they moved to Florida altogether in this story. Also, it's taking place right before they graduated in Eclipse, since I've been talking about school this whole time. I know this moves things around as well. :/ Forgive me. :]

*Reviiiiew!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything thereof.


Bella's POV

The plane was quiet. No crying babies, no snoring old people, no chit-chatty business women or middle-aged, horny men. Just silence. It was as if God was showing me mercy for the ache I've felt for the past few days, and I was boundlessly grateful.

My father didn't say much to me before I left, but he did say that he figured this outcome. He said he would have suggested it himself; that I needed to reconnect with my mother, but that he'd miss me terribly and I was welcome to return to him and my truck whenever I felt the need to. I would miss him, too. He was the only normal person in my new life.

I had more than enough time to think on the lengthy plane ride. I made the sorrowing realization that my earlier reactions to the telling of my life story and the findings in my journal weren't sincere. I reacted ridiculously pleasant because I wasn't truly accepting it for what it was. It was all still just a storybook to me. I was subconsciously pushing the eerie details to the darkest corners of my mind to rummage through and figure out later, and later just came quicker than I thought it would.

When it finally hit deep down and I truly understood that this eccentric lifestyle was real and belonged to me, I was overloaded and couldn't handle it. My mind felt like a clogged cookie batter machine on an assembly line. As soon as a drop of batter too much was loaded in, the machine exploded and raw cookie dough spewed everywhere.

My daydreamt analogy quickly turned from erupting cookie dough to a busted sewage pipe. My situation was far from sweet.

I almost feel like if I could have helped it, I would have left the clog there as long as possible, and just kept duct taping over the cracks that formed from the pressure. I didn't want to leave Edward… It just happened. It may have been painful, but it was unavoidable and the right thing to do.

I think.

I suppose I excused my actions because I just couldn't escape the image of the sullen face in the mirror. Then with that horrid memory, several others followed. I withdrew myself from society, escaped all want of engagement in any activity except the absolute necessities like work and school, and managed to almost kill myself several times in hopes that he'd hear my silent cry of anguish and return. Was all of that really Edward's fault, or was it my own for neglecting myself when he left? Edward admitted his err in leaving me, and meant it when he said that he only intended it to be beneficent for my life. I supposed I knew it wasn't his intention to turn me into zombie, for lack of a better title, but this was ultimately the outcome of his egress. No one's life should be this complicated and dramatic.

Sweet Jesus. I should be nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award.

In any case, although it's senseless and no good thing will come of it, I just can't help drowning in my own misery and throwing myself a giant 'woe is me' pity-party, and I don't care how immature that is. I just haven't quite been able to smile again yet.

The plane landed in record time, or at least it seemed that way. My thoughts, sleep and my infallible iPod kept me occupied. I followed the giant signs to baggage claim with my tattered carry on backpack already slung over my shoulder. Instantly I spotted my mismatched luggage on the motorized baggage trains. I went to reach for it, and a big hand grabbed the handles before I could.

"HEY! That's mine," I shouted and grabbed the other side of the handle. I attempted to tug it away from the strange man, but it seemed that he was made of rock. His face was sketchily covered by a baseball cap. It was angled in a way that the bill itself and the shadow from it covered most of his features as he looked down at me. He was nothing short of creepy.

"Don't get so worked up," he said with a deep rumble of a voice and laughed. "I'm just helping you carry it." He tugged again, to get it away from me. This seemed like bad news.

"I can carry it fine myself, thank you," I said crossly, and gave a hard tug my way. I was sure that if he wanted to, he could knock my ass on the airport floor and take the suitcase and run, but for some reason, he was allowing me to keep my grip. My heart began to speed up, and I was pretty sure that the rule of not accepting candy or rides from strangers applied in this situation.

"People are staring," he replied mockingly. I glanced around and found that he was right. People were beginning to slow their paces and gawk at the spectacle we were creating.

"Let. Them. Watch," I said through my teeth.

"Fine." He lifted his hands from the handle of the suitcase in surrender, and since I wasn't expecting it and there was no longer any exertion coming from his side, I fell right on my ass. This was the outcome I had previously anticipated, it was just produced in a different way than I had imagined.

His booming laughter filled the airport and he didn't offer me a hand to get up. His oh so chivalric qualities sent a twinge of regret for Edward's absence up my spine.

"You'll never change, Bella." His laugh continued through his sentence. He knows my name…?

"Who are you?" I asked faintly.

He ignored me and turned sideways to grab the suitcases on the ground with ease using only one hand, and I noticed a jet black pony tail cascading halfway down his back. He was tan as if he worked in the sun for long periods of time every day, and muscles rippled around his arms and down his back through his thin tee-shirt.

"Get off your ass and let's get to your mom's." I stood and brushed myself off.

"Not until you tell me who you are." He didn't answer. He simply walked away. I looked after him like an idiot, watching him leave with all of my things in hand. When he was halfway to the exit, he glanced back and realized that I wasn't following him. He dropped his head in a deep sigh, then nudged it toward the door instructing me to follow him out.

I sighed in submission. I decided I really had nothing to lose. Plus, he did know my name, and apparently where my mother lives. I might as well play whatever weird game he was throwing at me.

Stupid.


Edward's POV

We made a group decision that going to school would be the best idea for all of us. We've only been out for a couple days, but everyone knew that Bella hung around us for the majority of her time, and with her disappearing yet again, we figured it would be best for our image that we showed up.

"I think Jacob is there… I can't see her anymore," Alice said at the lunch table, looking off into the distance. I was watching her thoughts all this morning, and she could never get a clear reading on Bella. That would explain why, I supposed.

There was no way I could let Jacob be there with her when I wasn't. It may have been childish to think it unfair, or to be jealous, but mostly I was concerned for her safety.

"Damn it. I have to go to Phoenix, Alice," I replied. We had been arguing this all day.

"Absolutely not. You've seen it, Edward. With that decision only comes utter chaos. Do you want to push her even further away?" I didn't answer. I just held my head in my hands.

Any emotion at all hasn't even crossed my path since shortly after Bella left. When she walked out the door I was destroyed beyond repair, and it made me imagine what she possibly could have felt like when I was gone. Soon after, I was able to feel nothing and I've been able to focus solely on contriving ways to bring her home.

Just like it was before Bella was a part of my life, I was a robot. The only difference was then controlling my bloodlust seemed the only important thing to worry about. Now, all my thoughts exclusively consisted of her.
Nothing else matters.

I suppose I am, as she had relayed how she felt when I left, a zombie.

"Edward Cullen, please come to the main office. Edward Cullen to the main office," a voice announced over the school, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked to Alice, confused, but she had already left the table, and I realized how deep in thought I must have been to be able to ignore that. Almost all of the lunchroom had cleared out.

I was machine-like as I walked down the deserted halls. Every inch of the white tiled floor brought Bella to my mind. Every door, every window, every accessory, every banner, every picture, every announcement- This school is nothing to me except for her. Her sweet scent lingers here and there from last week, when we all simply sat together, joking around, waiting for yet another graduation. There was only weeks until, and I was losing time every second.

When I arrived in the main office, I got around all of Mrs. Cope's ridiculous desires and read her thoughts of a letter from Bella's father. I was instantly taken aback. She hadn't opened it, as any of the other ill-mannered staff here probably would have. She handed it to me like a blushing pre-teen girl would, and I left quickly. I read the chicken-scratch, father-like handwriting as I was walking down the hall, and I could almost hear his voice reading it out to me.

Edward,

I already know how weird this is, and if I could have avoided it, believe me, I would have. I've been putting in extra hours at work, so I didn't have time to meet in person. The bottom line is, I'm getting off of my fatherly pedestal and asking you a favor.

You and your family are my last hope. I didn't try to argue her out of leaving. I didn't want to push her away from Forks- me, anymore than she already had been.

So please, Edward, all differences aside for now, do everything you can to bring her back.

Charlie



Bella's POV

When I caught up to the stranger, I noticed that there was a taxi right outside of the exit with the trunk opened, and he threw my bags inside. He opened the door for me, and when I went to slide in, he grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. He bent down and pressed his lips to mine. In a shock I began to push away, but after a couple seconds I realized how familiar they felt. His lips were soft and warm. He was soft and warm. I melted into him like chocolate ice cream on a scorching summer day.

I refused to deepen the kiss when his tongue asked permission, but as soon as I relaxed and let my guard down, a new memory flowed through an open portal to my mind.

Drinking room temperature root beer with…Joseph? No, Jacob. That forgetting names thing really does have to stop. He was remodeling our motorcycles on an almost sunny day in Forks.

I pulled back in surprise, removed his baseball cap and stared him right in the eyes. If I hadn't completely figured it out by the memory, or the clue that Edward had given me, that I was supposed to be in love with a werewolf as well as him who had run off to God knows where when I rejected him, I would have known then that it was Jacob. Sweet Jacob. My old friend, my new love.

I wondered why my memories of Edward didn't come as quickly or clearly, and I was immediately disappointed. I felt a different connection with Edward than anyone else. It would seem that the majority of my memories would spring from time spent with him.

But oddly enough, when I thought back, none of the memories I had came directly from him. It was always an object or a thought that provoked it… but never Edward. Not like the kiss that I just shared Jacob.

"Uh, Bells?" Jacob pulled me from my thoughts as he brushed a stray hair behind my ear. "You're being really quiet and making weird faces."

I blushed like a tomato and ignored his inquiry.

"You said you know where my mom is?" He sighed. I knew that wasn't what he wanted to talk about.

"Yes, I do." The cab driver honked at us and Jacob held up a finger to tell him we'd be inside in a second.

"Bella, is it true? Do you really not remember me?"

"It wasn't obvious from my behavior in the airport? I thought that'd be a dead giveaway." He cracked a half-hearted smile.

"You kissed me like you remembered me."

"Correction- you kissed me, and I was forced to comply with your burly construction-man arms." He scratched his head.

"Burly… construction-man?" He looked at me like I had a third eye.

"Fine. It was a dumb analogy. But it was all I could think up. I'm still a little shocked, okay?" I said with a slightly nervous laugh. It didn't sound like it came from me. The cabby honked again and Jacob rolled his eyes. With one last hopeful glance at my face, he moved out of the way so that I could slide in and then he scooted in beside me. After telling the driver an address that I didn't recognize, I was off to where I hoped was my mother's house… otherwise I was in trouble. Again.

Somehow danger always seemed to find me.

Maybe I was wrong in leaving Forks… maybe it was inevitable that where ever I went, I'd always be in trouble, and at least in Washington I'd had guaranteed protection from it, and someone who loved me enough to go through hell and high water right by my side.

But maybe I'd have enough protection here in Phoenix too, if Jacob was staying, that is. And then again, I technically didn't know Jacob. Maybe I'd need the protection from him. That thought didn't make me miss Edward any less.

We quickly drove off the airport parking lot, and I couldn't help but to think that unfortunately, it was too late for regrets.